The Palette of Narmer The Palette of Narmer, also known as the Great Hierakonpolis Palette is an ancient Egyptian artifact dating from the 31st century BC. The palette depicts the unification of upper and lower Egypt by Narmer, the first pharaoh of Egypt. On one side Narmer can be seen wearing the white crown of upper Egypt, wielding a mace in one hand and striking a captured prisoner with the other. Beneath Narmer, are what seem to be a pair of dead bodies and a hieroglyphic sign that most likely indicates the name of a defeated town. The other side of the palette depicts Namer wearing the Red crown of lower Egypt with the decapitated bodies of enemy troops sprawled out to the side.This portrays Namers victory over his enemies and his unification of the two crowns under a single man. Beneath the king are two large serpopard’s, a mythical hybrid between a lioness and a serpent. Both upper and lower Egypt worshiped these creatures and the intertwining of their necks is an additional representation of Egyptian unity under Narmer. At the very bottom of the palette a bovine image is seen knocking down the walls of a city, further commemorating Namers military victory. This ancient artifact displays the critical role of a ruthless warrior in the forming of one of the greatest civilizations in all of human history. Although human beings should always strive to avoid violence, the use of force is essential to to building complex civilization. Violence is crucial to the development of a civilization because it is not only an effective means to attain power but is also an excellent tool to demonstrate in the purest sense the authority of a regime. To build a civilization there must exist some form of government. And governments are most effective when their citizens not only recognize but obey their leadership. Therefore I would argue that governing through the use of force is superior to governing by mutual consent, because it ensures a strong degree of loyalty among citizens toward their leadership. The effectiveness of this martial philosophy can be seen on the palette of Narmer. The depictions of Narmer marching triumphantly as the bodies of his enemies lay decapitated, and his execution of a rival king display that brutality was the primary means to achieve the unification of Egypt. Killing the rival king was necessary because it guarantees the subjects of the former king will be loyal to their new leader. By killing the king of upper Egypt, Narmer is publicly announcing that he is the new “Alpha”, and anyone who dares question his authority risks death. If Narmer had chosen more peaceful way of dealing with his adversary, he would inevitably have to face rebellion from factions still loyal to the defeated king. Furthermore the two kingdoms of Egypt would never be unified unless Narmer waged war to conquer upper Egypt. While the use of force is a very effective method of governance, it is not sufficient on its own to build a robust civilization. Ideally governments must strike a balance between violent exercise of power and a democratic concern for the wants and needs of the people. Violence is necessary to a certain extent. Without killing his rival Narmer would never be able to claim absolute authority. But the brutality with which his enemies were treated should not cross over to the way he treats his own subjects. Some degree of violence is necessary to deter rebellion, but to much violence exercised on a society as a whole will actually be the root cause of an uprising. Governments must possess the authority to enforce laws but also must cater to the desires of their citizens and work to improve the life of individuals. To many philosophers of the enlightenment period, an ideal government was defined by the level of happiness provided to its citizens. Every form of government, wether it be an aristocracy, an oligarchy or a democracy suffers from its own unique shortcomings. For example monarchies offer a strong degree of centralized power, but the productivity of a single leader comes at the cost of equality and freedom. Thus the most effective form of government is a combination of several different types. Aristotle’s Politics extensively discusses this concept of mixed government and concludes that a combination of oligarchy and democracy is the best form of government. However Aristotle also notes that no form of government is perfectly stable, in accordance with Plato he found every form of government to be uniquely flawed in some way. Additionally Aristotle warns that civilizations will fluctuate through various forms of government as time passes and thus the question of the ideal form of government cannot be answered with certainty. I personally would propose a strong centralized government presided over by a single leader. The famous “philosopher king” of Plato’s Republic is the model for which the leader of this government is based on. The ideal government combines the will of the people with the will of an elite few, and is lead by an exceptional individual whom can both defend his throne and improve the lives of those under him.

Question #3
Art and Human Nature Art is the physical expression of the thoughts and emotions carried by human beings. Prehistoric art is particularly fascinating because it paints a picture of the way in which the people of ancient civilizations lived, and reveals the humbling similarities between ancient and modern humans. The Woman of Willendorf, The Lascaux cave paintings, and the cuneiform impressions of Eannatum’s Stele of Victory are all ancient masterpieces that portray the positive and negative aspects of human nature. Although all three of these works of art are similar in that they were created to commemorate an important person or event, they each display a unique representation of human nature. Being the eldest of the three, the Woman of Willendorf is a depiction of one of the most sacred components of human society. The statue has small arms possibly to extenuate the breasts and other organs that are associated with fertility. The woman in this statue is noticibley pregnant and its no surprise she is important enough to be immortalized in a work of art. Back then and to this day women are solely responsible for the continuation of the species. The crucial role women play in society extends far beyond just reproduction. From the earliest hunter gatherer communities to modern society women have always held a crucial role in the day to day operation of a civilization. According to Gloria K. Fiero author of The Humanistic Tradition, “it is likely that shared responsibility characterized human kinds earliest societies” and the Woman of Willendorf is a testament to just how valuable women were to ancient humans. In a traditional hunter-gatherer society, the males do the hunting and the females stay back at home to gather berries, plants and tend to the children of a tribe. Both genders were mutually dependent on one another for survival. This exemplifies the fact that humans are naturally dependent on each other not only for love and affection but also for survival. The Woman of Willendorf depicts many aspects of human nature, love, appreciation and dependence on one another are all defining characteristics of the human condition. The desire for love and affection is second only to the most primal of all instincts, the desire to live. Existence in this epoch of human history was incredibly challenging, and communities often found themselves constantly on the brink of starvation. The painting of the Lascaux cave detail many facets of human life but most notably they display the almost divine regard humans had for animals. Hunter- gatherer culture is very closely associated with the animals the group hunted. The existence of the tribe was nearly totally dependent on the meat of an animal. The cave paintings portray how humans naturally respect and in a sense worship the things that bring them vitality. It also shows the central role teamwork and cooperation play in a human culture. Finally the point in history has arrived whereupon communities discovered agriculture and began to transition from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary one. The dawn of the Neolithic revolution saw the earliest examples of warfare in known history. The penchant for violence seems to be ingrained in human DNA, but it isn't until people began farming that the homicidal aspect of human nature is actually recorded. Eannatum’s Stele of Victory is a classic representation of ancient conflict. The artist who created this work obviously intended to commemorate the King of Lagash. The cuneiform impression depicts a mesopotamian king leading his troops into battle. It is not known wether or not the king is victorious however the spirit of combat is what is being celebrated in this piece. Although war has the potential to bring out the best human qualities it is primarily an organized period of killing. This piece most directly depicts some of the most negative aspects of human nature. Despite the differing intents of these three works of art, they all share in common a desire to celebrate basic human nature and the situations depicted are reoccurring themes throughout human history.